Chicken Coconut Curry Soup -- Thai Style

Last night I made a large batch of chicken stock (about 12 cups). When I got home this evening I took the chicken off the bones and strained the stock. I froze half of it to use at a later time and used 6 cups of it to make soup for our dinner tonight. I wanted something a little different so I made Chicken Coconut Curry Soup and gave it a Thai twist. It was so simple and easy to make. I added a can of unsweetened coconut milk to the chicken stock and a little bit of carrot and green onion and some sliced fresh mushrooms. I seasoned it with red curry paste and fish sauce (both found in the Asian or ethnic section of your supermarket). I initially took 2 cans of coconut milk out of the pantry to use but decided to use just 1 can instead and add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthum gum whisked into the soup to add a slight bit of viscosity (thickness) to the soup -- just enough to give it a bit of body and richness. If you've never used xanthum gum...less is more and too much is not good. The texture was perfect for me. Near the end of cooking, I squeezed the juice of a small lime into the soup. The combination of chicken, coconut, curry, and lime flavors go well together to make a "Thai style" soup. It was a perfect night for a bowl of hot soup since we didn't make it out of the 30s here temperature wise today and it looks like tomorrow will be another cold day, too. I snapped a quick photo of the soup below. Enjoy!

Chicken Coconut Curry Soup -- Thai Style
Makes approximately 4 servings

5 to 6 cups chicken stock
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
4 green spring onions, sliced
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (I used Native Forest organic)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (found in the Asian section of the supermarket)
2 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste (more or less depending on desired spiciness)
1/4 teaspoon xanthum gum, optional
5 ounces fresh baby spinach (half of a 10-ounce bag)
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced

Heat chicken in a stock pot over medium high heat until boiling; add sliced carrots and reduce heat; simmer until carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and half of green onions; simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and red curry paste and whisk until blended Bring to a boil; whisk in optional xanthum gum, half at a time; simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Stir in lime juice and taste for seasoning. Add chicken and cook until heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with remaining green onions.